It’s been a tough few weeks for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dropping three games in a row, including a pair to 2-10 teams, they are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention as it is. They can’t afford to slip up even once. Some believe there is far more on the line, however, like “the Steeler Way”.
Thanks to controversies spurred by the likes of wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin have been questioned on nearly a weekly basis. Even former Steelers players have expressed their concerns that the team they knew is fading away. Some, though, still have hope for better days.
“I truly believe they’ll get back there. What’s going on right now is you have some guys that are putting themselves over the team. It’s selfish”, former Steelers DL Chris Hoke told Ron Cook and Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan yesterday. “The reality is, they have to get back to that. There’s got to be discipline. Guys have got to be held accountable”.
I think most would agree with that, of course. The debate comes in when weighing whether Tomlin is capable of being the guy to get them back on that path. Many increasingly believe that a divorce is in the best interests of both parties. They feel Tomlin’s messaging has gone stale in Pittsburgh and is beginning to fall on deaf years. But Hoke still believes he can do it—but he’s got to do it.
“Mike Tomlin’s got to hold him accountable. He’s got to. And the reality is that if you don’t, you’re enabling his behavior”, he said of Pickens. “And listen, I’ve been around him. Mike’s a great leader. And one of the things about Mike is Mike is able to relate to guys like George”.
But he insisted that Tomlin has to step up and hold players accountable. He supported the notion that Pickens should be benched, even though he knows Tomlin is going in another direction on that matter. And accountability has to be “more than just a slap on the wrist”.
“They’ve got to understand that nobody’s bigger than the team, and if he doesn’t, this is gonna continue to unravel”, he added, noting that there’s a cultural issue in the building that requires that he comes down on it hard.
“I really want to believe that he will” be the man who is able to get the Steelers back to where they need to be, he said. “He’s a man of principle. His approach that he’s taken to these things for some time now needs to be adjusted a little bit”.
One thing he talked about a lot in the interview, and that he’s mentioned frequently, is the lack of leadership, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He called players like QB Kenny Pickett and RB Najee Harris “aspiring leaders”, but they lack the “been there, done that” quality that garners the kind of respect needed right now.
He even offered that he believes this never would have happened while Ben Roethlisberger was still on the team though it’s not like they didn’t have their issues. You can just stick with the wide receiver position and list Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Martavis Bryant, all of whom were accused of eroding the Steeler Way in some form or fashion.
Maybe, frankly, the Steeler Way is simply an ideal to strive for more so than an end you can achieve. These are all human beings playing a sport. Even Bill Belichick had players like Rob Gronkowski, who had a certain level of leeway because of his abilities. Nobody’s perfect. Tomlin certainly isn’t. But if he’s going to be the answer, he has to be better. Hoke believes he can. Do the people who matter agree?
